1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic performance apparatus which makes an automatic performance (play) on the basis of performance data recorded (written) in advance in a storage means such as a memory by a player and, more particularly, to an automatic performance apparatus which, during recording, detects a chord on the basis of pitch information outputted from a pitch designation means such as a keyboard and stores chord information as performance data if a chord is established, and records information associated with the pitch information when a chord cannot be established.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There has heretofore been known an electronic musical instrument with an automatic performance apparatus, which records/plays back a chord as a chord name (root+chord type) together with a tone duration or tone generation timing information as performance data, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open (Kokai) No. 62-187388.
The automatic performance apparatus can greatly reduce a storage capacity of, e.g., a memory as compared to a case wherein a plurality of pitches (octave+note) or notes designated by, e.g., a keyboard are recorded/played back as performance data.
However, when performance data is written, the automatic performance apparatus described in the above patent as an embodiment discriminates that a chord is established only when the apparatus can determine key-on tones as a chord, and writes chord information. When the apparatus cannot discriminate a chord, it determines that a chord cannot be established, and does not record information of the key-on tones. For this reason, the automatic performance apparatus described in the above patent can only record/play back chords which can be discriminated.
Recently, a player freely uses various kinds of chords more than those which can be discriminated by the apparatus. Thus, chords which cannot be discriminated by the apparatus are preferably recorded/played back.